He sits back in his chair and steeples his fingers together. “Go on. What is it?”
Taking a breath before I ask, “Now, I hate to ask this, but I think it could really benefit Evie, and if I am being totally honest, it would help me a whole lot, too.”
He just stares at me, waiting it out to see where I am going with this.
“I was hoping to borrow some supplies from the club next door,” I get out all in one breath.
He tilts his head to the side. “My sex club?” I nod. A smile spreads across his face. “And why is that, James?”
“Just call it therapy,” I counter.
He laughs. “Sure. I’ll let them know that you are going in and will ‘borrow’ some items.” He emphasizes the wordborrowin air quotes. “Just make sure that you return them and disinfect them before we also disinfect them. Okay?”
I’m already heading to the door. As I open it, I give him a thumbs-up, and I can hear him laugh as I close the door behind me.
I enter the club with a mask on, disguising my face much like I did when I first met Eve here. Wow. To think so much has changed since then.
I approach the hostess station, scan my card, and let them know that I am here to borrow a few things. She seems skeptical, but after a quick call to her boss, I am escorted to one of the rooms where I pick a few items out that she helps to place in a garment-like bag. Once it is zipped up and discreetly hidden away from prying eyes, I leave the club through the back entrance and tuck the items in the back seat of the pickup and leave in a hurry to start my first session with my willing girlfriend.
I don’t really have an idea if this will work, but I have to give it a chance. I want Evie to trust me while simultaneously helpingher overcome her fears. We have made such good progress, but I want to be able to do more. Although she may not ever fully recover from her trauma and hold onto tidbits of that memory and fear, I can help her overcome the part that affects us and our relationship.
As I contemplate all the therapy sessions we will have tonight, I barely register pulling into the parking lot. I grab the bag out of the back seat and run up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I unlock the door with the key that Evie gave me before I left and place it back on the foyer table, calling out to her as I make my way into her bedroom. “Evie? I’m back.”
“In here,” she says.
She is towel drying her hair and rubs some products into it that smell like lavender and other botanicals. She tosses the towel to hang over the hook behind the door as I place the garment bag on her bed. As I fully unzip the bag for her, she looks at each item I have, receiving an eyeful of the toys I intend to pleasure her with.
Before she can ask, I let her know my plan. I walk over to her and take her hands in mine. “Remember when we met at the club that night for the first time?”
She smiles mischievously at the recollection of the events that unfolded that night, and I know exactly what part she is remembering.
“Of course.”
I smile in return. “Well, I stopped by the club earlier and thought maybe we could create some more memories in the safety of your bedroom.”
Her smile increases. “I like that plan. What do I get to use on you? Do you have a certain thing in mind?”
“I do,” I reply. “I want for you to have an open mind.”
She eyes me suspiciously and I can’t help but encourage her. “Do you trust me?”
“You know I do.”
But I can tell her hackles are raised and she is hesitant to learn of what I have planned because she is right. It is something to be concerned about, and I just hope that I am not making a colossal mistake and taking her too far out of her comfort zone.
I remove the first item from the bag—a pole with a leather padded attachment called a flogger. I place it on the bed, and I see her stare at it. I bring the next item out of the bag—a silk scarf. That is obvious, but the last one causes her to shuffle backward.
I remove the leather restraints from the bag and place the four items together on the duvet. Lastly, a pole is placed with the cuffs. “It’s a spreader. It keeps your legs apart.”
She looks at the items and then at me. “I don’t understand.”
“I think you do,” I counter.
I approach her, and her body stiffens. I bring her closer to me. My hand is on her waist, and I look down into her eyes. They seem guarded, and they should be because we are going to test some limits, and I want her to get past this fear. If I can help her, maybe she can heal and learn to trust me as her partner and lover.
I run my hand down her cheek, and she leans into my touch. She stares up at me. I bring my lips to her and kiss her softly. “You know that I won’t hurt you, right, Eve?” She nods, but doesn’t speak. “We can stop at any time if you are uncomfortable. You know that too, right?”
She nods again. “Do I need a safe word, Jameson?”
